


Only the Most Beautiful

by ellerean



Category: Free!
Genre: Asexuality, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2014-04-18
Packaged: 2018-01-19 21:31:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1484773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellerean/pseuds/ellerean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“Nagisa-kun, is this a date?”</i>
</p><p>With that one question, Rei is thrown into extensive research to discover what it means to be attracted to another, and where his own attraction lies. And, though reluctant, his friends try their best to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only the Most Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Asexy April](http://asexy-april.tumblr.com). Huzzah!

“Nagisa-kun, is this a date?”

Nagisa had neither confirmed nor denied it, but Rei wondered the entire time they were at the café. After practice, on their usual walk to the station, Nagisa had wanted to stop in and try their new variety of melon bread. And while Rei had no interest in stuffing his face with sweets, he’d ordered a latte for himself and joined Nagisa at the table.

But that wasn’t what made him consider the event had been elevated to “date” status. While Nagisa was typically clingy—annoyingly so—he’d hardly touched Rei as they stood in line. And then Nagisa’s hand brushed his in passing, which felt like no mere accident. He’d also insisted on paying for Rei’s drink, despite the knowledge that Rei had adequate funds.

More than that, there was the way Nagisa now stared at him across the table, even more dreamy-eyed than when he’d tried to recruit him for the swim team. “Oh, Rei-chan,” he said, not answering the question at all.

Nagisa’s behavior wasn’t otherwise unusual. He bounced beside Rei as they walked to the station, then promptly fell asleep on his shoulder the moment the train began to move. Rei watched Iwatobi pass outside, pass the ocean and the rolling fields until the city came into sight.

Rei looked down at Nagisa, scowling at the new thread a drool on his track jacket.

Nagisa hugged him as they parted at the station—typical behavior, he noted—and then Rei rushed for the library, vowing not to stay too long this time, as he still carried a wet swimsuit and towel in his bag.

The librarian beamed when he strode through the door. “Oh! Did you just come from practice? We just received some new books on swim theory!”

“That won’t be necessary,” he said, patting down his still-damp hair, aware of the reek of chlorine. “I need everything you have on young romance!” He then cleared his throat, stepping closer to the counter to lower his voice. “Specifically between members of the same sex. It is necessary for a research project.”

The librarian’s eyes widened slightly, but she turned to her computer. “Fiction or non-fiction?”

Rei stroked his chin. “Both would be suitable.”

Considering the vast amount of material on romance in general, there was little on his selected topic. The manga section had the greatest variety, but he shrieked when pulling one off the shelf, jumping back as the book landed face-down on the floor.

Someone shushed him from several aisles over.

“This is not beautiful,” he whispered, plucking the offending literature between two fingers from the floor. “Why are his hands disproportioned?” But still, he curiously turned to the middle of the book, then paled and slapped the cover closed.

 _That’s not logical!_ He shoved the book back onto the shelf.

The non-fiction section didn’t fare much better. He gathered a stack of books to spread over a table—hidden in a far corner, away from other patrons—and quietly flipped through their pages. “None of this is applicable,” he mumbled, reading yet another passage on homosexual attraction.

It would be beneficial to establish what their relationship _was_ ; Nagisa had elevated himself to something beyond a mere friend, but a “boyfriend” would include both parties acknowledging that such a connection had been established.

Rei took one book into his lap, hiding it beneath the table as he read through a chapter on sexual contact. He unzipped his track jacket to his collarbone, feeling the fine layer of sweat on his neck. He was certain that his cheeks resembled the color of Gou-san’s hair. Rei slowly closed the book and slid it across the table, reaching for another instead.

But he was dissatisfied. The librarian looked at him curiously when he brought no books to check out, and he simply bowed before explaining that further research would be required.

Books would not explain Nagisa’s behavior, nor Rei’s current distress. When he returned home he showered, changed into pajamas, and then stood before his desk. The computer loomed in front of him, dark and mysterious, and he slowly sat down before it.

It was necessary to consult the Internet.

Rei was startled when his phone jingled the moment he’d opened the browser.

_Goodnight Rei-chan~! See you tomorrow <3_

He tilted his head, then tilted his phone, reading the text upside down. It was not the first time Nagisa had included a heart-shaped emoticon but he thought back to the café, trying to conjure Nagisa’s face in his head—had he been smiling more than usual? Had he been quiet? No, he had acted exactly the same, yet . . . different.

Besides the hand-brushing and wistful expression and the insistence to pay for his latte, of course.

_Goodnight, Nagisa-kun._

His hands hovered over the keyboard. He’d turned off the bedroom light, in case his parents thought to come say goodnight. He lowered the brightness on his monitor so no light could spill through the gaps in the doorframe.

Rei had no idea what to search for.

“This is ridiculous,” he said aloud, crossing his arms as he started at the blank box of the search engine, waiting for his questions. _How does one know if your friends are romantically attracted to you? What is sexual attraction?_

He thought of Haruka-senpai.

He’d never displayed outward appearances leaning either way—from what Rei had observed, Haru cared not for the physical beauty of women, nor did he appear to notice the male physique like Gou did. (But Gou was an uncharacteristic example of female behavior, Rei had been quick to learn.)

But Haru behaved different when the subject in question was Rin.

Rei turned to his bookshelves. He knew exactly where his photo album was, from the numerous times he would consult it during his budding friendship with the swim club. He studied Nagisa through its pages—he was _Nagisa_ , exceedingly friendly and often clinging to Rei in some fashion. That was typical of Nagisa’s behavior.

He flipped to the later pages, when Rin began to appear. Rin’s behavior toward Haru was similar—there were few photos that they weren’t near each other, and even fewer that Rin was not touching him in some manner.

Rei yanked a notebook from his shelf. It was mostly littered with old calculus notes, but in the back were a couple blank pages. He drew a line down the middle, creating a grid, carefully writing _Nagisa-kun_ and _Rin-san_ at the top of each column. He turned back to the computer and plugged in a search: _Signs that someone is romantically attracted to you_.

“Progress,” he whispered, pushing his glasses up his nose as he clicked the first link. He transferred some of the bullet points to Nagisa’s column: _Shows interest in your life. Affectionate and attentive. Calling for no reason._

He found himself recording the entire list into Nagisa’s column.

Rei sat back, staring back and forth between the grid and the photo album. He turned to a group photo where everyone was clinging to someone else. Even his own arm was around Nagisa’s shoulders and Haru—though he did not return Rin’s affectionate hug—was looking in his direction. _Is that a smile?_ Rei squinted at the photograph.

When he returned to the grid to record items into Rin-san’s column, he was unsurprised that it was nearly identical to Nagisa’s.

He immediately grabbed his phone.

“Hn? Rei?” Rin was groggy and Rei heard the distinct sound of rustled sheets, a slight creak of a mattress as he shifted. “What do you want?”

“Are you romantically interested in Haruka-senpai?”

“ _Oww!_ ” The sound of something hitting metal—his head, presumably—then Nitori shouting his name in the background, and Rin covering the receiver though Rei could still hear him bellowing, assuring his roommate that he was fine. Rei flinched when he shouted back into the phone. “What the _hell_ is wrong with you?!”

Rei proudly held up his notebook, as if Rin could see it through the line. “I am conducting research! If your behavior toward Haruka-senpai can be explained to have romantic interests, then that would mean . . .” He paused.

What _did_ that mean? His chest felt heavy, a familiar feeling of anxiety, or expectation, or . . .

“Is this about Nagisa?”

“Research!” Rei screeched. “It’s _research!_ ”

Rin sighed. “Listen. Come to my room after practice, all right? Bring your ‘research.’” Rei pushed up his glasses, pouting at his dislike of Rin’s tone, but allowed him to proceed. “And I’ll . . . show you some stuff, all right?”

Rei sat bolt upright. “You have conducted your own research?”

“Something like that.”

* * *

 It was difficult hiding his research from the team, with his books and notebook tucked into his swim bag. He’d visited the bookstore later that week, pleased to find texts that were more up-to-date than those in the library. And though he now understood the physical responses to romantic interest—heart palpitations, sweaty palms, shortness of breath—he couldn’t test his theories without intimate study of his subject.

Rin’s behavior was atypical during practice. There was little time for them to talk, but he glanced at Rei more often than usual. And though he would talk to Haru, there was no customary arm-slinging around his shoulders. Rei tried to read Haru’s expression to this uncommon behavior, but was undecided whether his pout was due to Rin or the fact he was not in the pool yet.

The most difficult part of the rendezvous would be escaping from Nagisa, as they always traveled together, but Rin solved that issue in the locker room. He threw an arm around Rei’s shoulders, causing him to stumble under Rin’s weight. “Ready for our study session?” he asked.

“Whaa??” Nagisa gripped to Rei’s free arm. “You’re hanging out with Rin-chan?”

“W-we’re not—!”

“Butterfly boy needs some tips,” Rin said, elbowing his side before sauntering away.

“Y-yes!” Rei said, fumbling through his locker for his glasses. He forced them onto his face and adjusted them as Nagisa came into focus. “Rin-san offered to help me with theory! His input is vital for my understand—”

Nagisa gently nudged his arm. “Okay!”

Makoto stood nearby, smiling as he pulled on his shirt. “It’s so nice to see you two spending time together.”

Rei looked to Haru, who had turned to face the wall as he dressed.

Rin had somehow managed to ditch Nitori as well, convincing him to go study in the library or hang out with his friends or something. He wasn’t specific on _how_ they wound up alone in his dorm room, but Rei thought better than to ask.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Rin said, eying the heavy swim bag on Rei’s shoulder.

Rei had anticipated the condescending smirk, that boisterous laugh as Rin read through his research. Rin flipped through the book as they sat on the floor, _hmm_ ing on occasion and studying certain pages longer than others. Rei stared at his notebook, at his grid of potentially romantic actions, unsure whether it was something he wanted to share at all. But Rin didn’t give him a choice—Rei yelped as the notebook was plucked from his hands and Rin was silent, raising a curious eyebrow as he read the list.

“You weren’t kidding,” he mumbled. “Here, you forgot one.” He set the notebook down and pointed to a bullet point in Nagisa’s column— _calling for no reason._

“You call Haruka-senpai?” Rei asked without looking up, focused instead on copying the point into Rin’s column.

He shrugged. “Doesn’t mean he picks up.” He then sprawled on his stomach, angled toward the bed, and pulled out a cardboard box. He didn’t stop Rei from peering in as he unfolded the flaps. “Here.” He held the book in both hands, hesitating before handing it over. “Read it later.”

Its front cover was nondescript—a generic photograph of a sunset over the beach—but he scanned the description on the back, discovering it was . . . a romantic novel.

“It’s kind of cheesy,” Rin said with a dismissive shrug. “But it’s the first one I read.”

Rei knew better than to judge a person’s gender by simply a name, but there was no mistaking that the characters in question were both, in fact, male.

“Thank you, Rin-san.” But Rin was already turned back to the box, pulling another book out that was unmistakably a manga. Rei scooted away, as if the offending literature would attack.

“Oh, you’ve seen these in your research, huh?” Rin laughed as he pushed it into Rei’s hands. “There’s a lot of shit out there, but this one’s all right. Here.”

Rei feared to look down at the cover but, to his relief, it featured only one boy, with anatomically-correct appendages. He slowly flipped through the book, studying the art rather than the words—bright-eyed boys looking at each other, then touching hands, then—

Rin laughed as Rei slammed the cover shut. “Too much?”

“N-no, this is significant to my research.” He tucked the book in his bag, alongside the novel. “Rin-san . . .” He watched Rin reach into the box but he paused, curiously looking at Rei. “Am I correct in assuming you’re homosexual, then?”

“Just say I’m fucking gay, Rei.” He sat up straight. “What about you?”

“I— I’m not sure.” He looked down at his research materials, conscious of Rin pulling something new from the box. “While I admit to feeling a fondness for . . .”

“Nagisa,” Rin finished.

“Y-yes. I can’t be certain what nature it is.”

Rin slid a magazine toward him. Rei’s eyed widened as he pushed up his glasses, viewing the bare-chested, muscular man on the cover, wearing spandex shorts that were much tighter than his own swimsuit. Rin watched as Rei slowly opened the cover.

“Pornography?!” he shrieked.

“Keep it down!” Rin hissed. “It’s just naked guys, jeez.”

But Rei only stared at the first page, trying not to look directly between the man’s spread legs. “I can’t believe you have something like this . . .”

Rin scoffed. “All guys have stuff like this.” Then he stood, brushing nonexistent dirt from the seat of his pants. “Listen, I need the bathroom. Just . . . don’t do anything funny in my room, all right?”

“What would I— Rin-san!”

Rin chortled as he left, the door quietly clicking shut behind him.

The magazine was a mere curiosity, something Rei knew others enjoyed—Rin, evidently—but he didn’t believe he felt the appropriate physical reaction. “It’s not beautiful,” he mumbled, glancing at one man’s genitalia before turning the page. But he knew the images to be physically appealing, with their flexed muscles and sultry smiles. A blush crept to his face as he closed the magazine, sliding it back to where Rin had been sitting.

He eyed the cardboard box. But before he could peek inside, Rin came back into the room.

“So?” he said, sitting back on the floor.

“It is very interesting.”

Rin cocked an eyebrow. “That’s all? You don’t need time alone in the shower or anything?” Rei sputtered nonsensical words as Rin fit the magazine back into the box. “I don’t get you. You’re not into girls—”

“How would you know that?!”

Rin snorted. “Because I know. And this”—he motioned to the box—“isn’t doing anything for you, either.”

It was decisive evidence. Rei thanked him profusely before he left, his bag packed with reading materials (“I expect to get those back,” he’d said), and as he walked to the train station, he tried to notice people.

He thought of the men in the magazine, and his acknowledgement of their beauty was merely acceptance of the fact—he did _not_ require “alone time,” as Rin had suggested. On the train there was an attractive girl sitting across from him, who he noticed another man was watching. _What is he thinking about?_ Rei wondered, fearing the answer, noticing her short skirt. He was grateful that the two disembarked at different stops.

In his free time through the week, he would read. The romantic novel was cheesy, as Rin had promised, but it was educational to see boys experience love in the same manner as a heterosexual relationship. He jotted down the author’s name, intent on finding more of his works.

The manga was interesting; the addition of artwork provided a more well-rounded experience, but it was a struggle getting through the sexual scenes, witnessing a boy opening his legs for another. Though the artwork was beautiful Rei felt his insides churn at the prospect of leaning over _anyone_ , regardless of biological makeup. He stared at the sexual panels with feigned indifference, a revulsion that only sparked more curiosity.

Late one night, he called Rin again.

“Already got through your reading material?” he asked.

“Rin-san, you didn’t answer my question.” Rei opened his notebook to the attraction grid. “You didn’t confirm whether you’re attracted to Haruka-senpai.”

Rin sighed. He didn’t say anything for a while, but Rei heard the rustle of sheets and the opening of a door, then distant footsteps and the sounds of the outdoors in the background—the slight wind through the receiver, birds chittering in the distance. “Listen. It’s one thing to read this kind of stuff, but it’s another to just _tell_ a guy you like him. You can understand _that_ , right?”

Rei stared down into his notebook. “Yes. But . . .”

“What is it?”

“It’s possible that he feels the same. Perhaps he experiences a similar anxiety.” When Rin didn’t reply, he continued. “I have conducted further research. And I’ve discovered that the way Haruka-senpai reacts toward you . . . it is similar to myself.”

“But you don’t know what the hell you want,” Rin said.

“Exactly! But that doesn’t indicate a complete lack of emotion.”

“Hm.” Rin was silent a while before saying, “Thanks, Rei. I’m not sure how that helped, but . . . it did.” 

* * *

 Rei invited Nagisa to the café following the next practice. Thanks to Rin’s extensive reading material, he had a better idea of the appropriate body language—he returned each one of Nagisa’s smiles; he put a hand on his shoulder as he insisted Nagisa order first. Then he paid for them both, even though he knew Nagisa had just received his allowance.

And he didn’t comment on the super-sweet bubble tea Nagisa was drinking, even though he could smell it across the table. Rei sipped his tea as he allowed Nagisa to talk, holding back from lecturing him about pranking his homeroom teacher but laughing along instead. And he didn’t pull away when Nagisa touched his hand across the table, laughing that brilliant, beautiful laugh that turned heads (though the head-turning was likely a product of annoyance rather than admiration).

“Rei-chan,” he said with a mouthful of tapioca pearls, “is this a date?”

His mind raced. He remembered asking Nagisa the same thing and receiving a non-answer, but what had his answer been? But then he smirked, adjusting his glasses as he held his tea between both hands. “Oh, Nagisa-kun.”

He didn’t protest when Nagisa followed him home. He was such a common presence in the house now, like another child, or a puppy who had wiggled its way into their living quarters. But Nagisa didn’t flop on the bed as usual; he merely stood in the center of his bedroom looking around, like he was seeing it for the first time.

“Rei-chan?”

Rei froze before the wardrobe, where he was hanging up his jacket, one arm of the hanger fitted into the sleeve. “Yes?”

“Are you gay?”

He resumed hanging up his jacket, slowly, but didn’t yet turn. It wasn’t until Nagisa touched his forearm that Rei met his face, looking down at that wide-eyed expression filled with . . . hope? Fear?

It mattered not how much of Rin’s literature he’d read, nor his extensive research. What mattered was that small hand on his arm, the way its warmth was spreading through his body. It was one thing to read about such situations, but to _experience_ it was quite another matter.

“That’s unconfirmed,” he finally answered.

Nagisa nodded, then finally flopped to the bed. Though he’d seen Nagisa innumerable times in various stages of undress, there was an intimacy in his lying where he slept, in the way his shirt lifted slightly to reveal a strip of his stomach. Already, a tan line was visible. Rei had to look away. 

* * *

 Makoto was his next victim.

Rei was pleasantly surprised to find him alone when school let out and jogged to catch up, calling his name and waving. Makoto turned, smiling broadly, though there was a questioning look in his eyes.

“Is everything all right, Rei?”

“Yes! Do you mind if we walk together?”

“Not at all!”

Rei regretted that they didn’t spend much time alone together. Makoto instantly starting talking of the swim club, and wondering aloud how they could get new recruits. But when they were outside his front door, Makoto about to bid him farewell, Rei maneuvered around him to block his path to the doorway.

“I have a question for you, Makoto-senpai.” When Makoto raised a curious eyebrow he said, “Are you attracted to women?”

“I— uh, yes? I’m not looking for a girlfriend right now, in case you—”

Rei cut him off. “I request to look at your pornography!”

“Ehh??” Makoto stumbled back, slamming his head on a fencepost. He winced, rubbing the back of his head. “Why do you think”—he glanced at his front door—“never mind. Come inside.”

Makoto quickly greeted his family, stepping over a pair of hyperactive twins as he tried to explain that he and Rei had some work to do, that he’d be out for dinner. They pouted, but Makoto and Rei made it to his room unscathed, no small children trailing behind or clinging to their legs. Makoto locked the door.

“Where did this come from?” Makoto whispered.

Rei eyed the bed, trying to see if any stray reading materials were stashed beneath it. “It’s necessary for my research,” he replied, keeping his voice low as well. They could still hear the twins bounding around the hallway.

“But . . . couldn’t you just . . . go online?”

“It’s not the same!” he cried, then clapped his hands over his mouth when the twins laugh. He lowered his voice again. “I trust your judgment over dubious websites.”

Makoto sighed, then nodded as he pressed a finger to his lips. Rei could only watch as he knelt, digging beneath the mattress until he procured a magazine. “If you have any questions . . .” he started, but could only glance uncertainly between Rei and the magazine, finally lying it on the bed.

Makoto eyed him warily as they sat on the bed, as Rei silently opened the cover. Many of the women wore bikini bottoms, he was pleased to notice, but they all bared their sizable breasts, and some wore nothing at all.

“I’ll be right back,” Makoto said. “I’m locking the door behind me.”

 _Is it also a requirement to be left alone with such materials?_ he wondered, watching Makoto exit the room. Rei had little experience with the female figure, so the photographs were . . . educational. To a degree. “This is not beautiful,” he whispered, quickly turning the page to conceal a woman about to touch herself. He turned the last page long before Makoto returned, studying the bikini-clad figure on the back cover. Finally, Makoto knocked to come back inside.

“Does it . . . help?” he asked, locking the door again.

“There are many things I don’t understand,” Rei admitted.

“That’s okay. This kind of stuff can be confusing.” Finally Makoto smiled, slipping the magazine back beneath the mattress. “Why don’t you stay for dinner?”

He stayed, and long after the meal—the twins wanted to play video games and Rei couldn’t deny a friendly battle, though he was terrible on the virtual racetrack. They would laugh every time he’d cry about not understanding the theory, and even Makoto would try to hide a laugh as Rei lost yet again.

“You should be heading home,” Makoto said, the twins whining as he shut off the system. “It’s getting dark. Will you be okay getting back?”

Rei assured him that he would and, after each of the twins insisted on sharing hugs, Makoto walked him to the door. He wouldn’t accept any of Rei’s thanks, insisting he’d done nothing, which only caused Rei to thank him again before closing the door behind him.

It _was_ dark. He’d stayed much later than he’d planned, and there was still homework to be done for the following day, and—

“Rei.”

He shrieked in fright, hearing Haru’s voice long before his figure came into view. He was entirely in black, nearly hidden in the shadow of Makoto’s house as he came down the steps.

“Haruka-senpai! Please don’t do that!”

“Sorry.” Haru pushed his hands into his pants pockets. “You came to see Makoto’s porn?”

Rei pulled at his jacket’s collar, feeling the flush that burst into his cheeks. It was suddenly too warm in that cool night air . . .

“Rei.” Haru came down to the bottom step and lifted his face slightly, which seemed to shine despite the dark. “Do what’s comfortable for you.”

Rei stared at his feet. His research had only brought on more questions, more and more things he didn’t understand. “What if I’m _not_ comfortable? I . . .” He straightened his jacket. “I don’t feel anything at all.”

Haru’s smile was barely discernible but it was there, hidden in the shadows. “That’s fine.”

“But I would like romance!” He gripped resolutely to the strap of his backpack. “Sharing yourself with another is beautiful! I would like to experience it.”

Rei was breathing hard, agitated, but Haru remained calm, staring curiously as he said, “Love without sex is possible.”

“Haruka-senpai… are you—”

“Demisexual,” he interrupted. “I finally understand.”

It hit him like a flash. _There is an entire facet I have neglected!_ One not defined by sexual attraction, or merely men and women, but by _human emotion_ , seeing past their physical composition…

“Yes, Haruka-senpai!” A new determination shone in Rei’s face, and he smiled broadly as he quickly bowed to him once, twice for good measure.

“And thank you,” Haru said, before turning away.

“What—?” But he caught it—it hadn’t been obvious in the dark, but now, as Haru turned, Rei caught the familiar shark-tooth pattern on the sleeve of his jacket, the gold stitching on the back as he jogged up the stairs. 

* * *

 Rei called Nagisa to hang out that weekend. Perhaps Nagisa felt the shift within him, but he didn’t mention it in public; he was slightly more subdue or, at least, less overbearing. When he’d grasp Rei’s arm to guide him into the sweetshop it was a gentle tug, not the usual dragging him along. Even Nagisa deemed the weather to be beautiful so they walked through the park, not touching but their arms occasionally brushing, or the rare occasion when Nagisa would fully grasp his hand to point out something neat. (Rei admitted that he quite liked the duck pond, until one of them honked at him.)

Nagisa wanted _more_ sweets and, despite Rei’s full stomach, agreed to shaved ice. They sat on a bench close to the pond—not _too_ close, as Rei cautiously eyed the ducks—and Nagisa swung his feet as he fed spoonfuls of his ice to Rei.

“I have my own!” he protested, though he had to admit that the strawberry flavor was nice, too. “Nagisa-kun,” he said, turning toward him, feeling the ice melt in his warm hands. “I have an answer to your question.”

“Hmm?” Nagisa’s mouth was already tinged red with artificial flavoring. “What question, Rei-chan?”

Nagisa’s eyes were so bright and expressive, so… _beautiful_ … that he almost looked away, surprised by how quickly his pulse had accelerated. “I am biromantic gray-asexual.”

Once he had discovered the proper research materials, the answer had been obvious. He’d spent all night scanning the lists of probable identities, eliminating those that were not applicable and easily narrowing it down.

Nagisa blinked twice. “Huh?”

Rei knew he would have to explain—his attraction to an individual regardless of gender, seeking a romantic relationship over a sexual one. But, he was sure to add, sex was not entirely out of the question.

Nagisa chewed his plastic spoon, listening intently, and Rei held his breath waiting for his reply. Finally, he nodded. “Mmm. It suits you.”

“Nagisa-kun?”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or girl. You like people for who they are.”

Rei sat up straighter, pushing up his glasses as they slipped down his nose. “Yes!”

Nagisa slid closer, linking an arm through Rei’s, and he permitted it—it was comfortable, sitting with Nagisa, even if he smelled of artificial strawberry flavoring. “Only the most beautiful for my Rei-chan.”

He tilted his head toward Nagisa as that wild blond hair flopped to his shoulder, and stayed there, tickling Rei’s nose each time he breathed in. The hold around his arm tightened, but not too tight, just enough so Rei understood his acceptance, that no research could explain the swarm of butterflies that now resided in his soul.

**Author's Note:**

> ([Here](http://trapsandpecs.tumblr.com/post/83116571379) on tumblr.)


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